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THE STORY OF FIVE DOGS 






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Copyright IQiy 

by 

TV alter E. Carr 


;‘;NOV 24 1917 


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MAJOR DUMPY 

Y earliest recollection of my 
first dog, and one of my boy¬ 
hood frieads and companions, 
was of him as a chubby puppy, 
black and tan in color, with all of the 
appealing comical helplessness of puppy- 
hood. 

No boy can have a better playmate than 
a dog and especially one that has come 
into the boy’s life as a puppy and has 
grown with him; and certain it was that 
the black-and-tan more than fulfilled his 
mission in life,—provided the dog has no 
greater end to serve than to be of use and 
pleasure to man. 



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In size Major, or Major Dumpy as he 
was formally called, while not large, was 
no puny lap-dog. Simple out-of-doors 
life, devoted to the sports of healthy boys 
who lived in the days when the woods and 
streams of southern Wisconsin abounded 
in game and fish, developed Major into 
a sturdy, vigorous, little hero of about 
fifteen pounds weight. 

In courage he was a lion. Never did I 
know him to show fear, and in battle he 
cared not for the size or nature of his foe. 
His pet antipathies were Newfoundland 
dogs and cats. Towards the former he was 
an enemy live and aggressive. Regard¬ 
less of the difference in size, for the New¬ 
foundlands were several times that of 
Major, the black-and-tan always made 
vicious attack upon his curly haired 
enemy at sight. Many times was he 
pulled away from the combat with his 
mouth full of hair from his enemy. Often 


4 





did he bear the marks of the great teeth 
of the large dogs, and once, upon a return 
from a little trip, I found poor little 
Major laid out upon the grass under a 
blossoming apple tree, unable to move, as 
the result of a bite through his back. 
Even then his spirit did not desert him 
and as he looked up into my eyes he 
seemed to say, “Never mind; the next 
time I’ll fix him.” 

But not on account of his undaunted 
courage alone did he win and keep our 
love and admiration, but because he was 
a keen sharer of all of our sports, and 
especially those of the field and forest, 
where he developed remarkable skill. 

In those days, wild plover, pigeons, 
ducks, and prairie chickens were in great 
abundance, and in the woods were many 
squirrels and rabbits, with an occasional 
coon, woodchuck and wild-cat. All boys 
were enthusiastic sportsmen and his mas- 
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ffitg Sfary 1 of' 


ters were no exception. Major was not a 
hunting dog by breed or education, but 
through his intense entering into all of 
the life of his companions and his intelli¬ 
gence he became an all round field-dog 
of really unusual quality. 

One of our favorite hunting grounds 
was up Turtle Creek, which served as 
feeding ground for many ducks in season. 
Along the banks we boys would hunt 
while Major took to the woods on either 
side. In case a gun was fired, a small 
black-and-tan would come running from 
the woods at the top of his speed to see 
what had happened and, in case a duck 
had been shot, into the water he would 
plunge, regardless of how cold it might 
be, to retrieve the bird. If perchance the 
duck were dead, the task was not so hard; 
but if the victim proved to be a wing- 
tipped mallard, it was a sight to see the 
little dog after a long chase and struggle, 
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many times diving after the escaping 
bird, until finally triumphant he brought 
it and delivered it to his master. 

Sometimes, too, he would be the first to 
discover game, and we came to distin¬ 
guish something of the nature of his 
quarry from the character of his bark. A 
bark at some intervals from a stationary 
spot indicated a treed squirrel. Sharp 
yelps in progression told of chasing a rab¬ 
bit in full run; while occasionally, loud, 
very excited barks brought us boys on a 
run in the direction because we knew that 
our fellow-hunter had found something 
of very unusual interest, requiring our 
attention,—and he never deceived us. 

But perhaps the most unusual develop¬ 
ment of Major as a hunting dog was in 
the pursuit of prairie chickens. In the 
hunting of this game, as is well known, 
bird-dogs, setters or pointers, are com¬ 
monly used, which, because of their 
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breeding, naturally take to the work of 
finding the birds through their being able 
to catch the scent which is not distin¬ 
guishable to other breeds of dogs. But 
to Major game birds were all alike desir¬ 
able prey, and he soon became as good in 
hunting prairie chickens as he was in re¬ 
trieving from the water, although it must 
be confessed that he was quite apt in his 
interest and excitement to flush and chase 
a covey of the chickens, instead of stand¬ 
ing stanch, as he should. 

To him, as to his friends, school was 
but a useless institution standing in the 
way of true sport, and to him Saturday 
was eagerly welcomed as devoted to real 
life. He loved the gun as an emblem of 
sport, and taking it down from its rack 
caused him to cry with joy. 

Never have I seen any other dog so 
good for as great variety of game as this 
little black-and-tan, who by breeding 
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GfvVe (Dogs 


should not have been interested in any 
other game than rats. 

Never did boys have a more loyal, lov¬ 
ing, enthusiastic playmate than little 
Major Dumpy. 

His end none of us knew, but he dis¬ 
appeared in the prime of life, full of en¬ 
ergy and the joy of living. His life is 
now in the happy hunting grounds, where 
he is without doubt as brave, busy little 
hunter as he was in the good old days 
when he was with us. 



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II 

GIPSEY 


B Y second intimate friend among 
the dogs was a curly-haired fe¬ 
male spaniel of very different 
character from the little friend 
of boyhood. 

Gipsey was a long-eared, pretty puppy 
when she was given to me; of just the 
right size to be put in a market basket 
and sent by express to the old home and 
care of my father and mother. 

By heredity the puppy should have de¬ 
veloped into a retriever, with love for the 
water and the gun, but through environ¬ 
ment she became a companion of two who 
were passing quietly down the shady side 
of the hill. 

Instead of following the master with 


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gun, her walks were to the village stores 
and return. Her summer recreation was 
in the garden and among the flowers, 
watching the birds and occasionally tip¬ 
ping over the toads so strange to her eyes. 
Her winters were spent by the stove ex¬ 
cept for her daily walk to the village. 

But during all of those days she was 
developing in the qualities which go to 
make of the dog the loyal, loving com¬ 
panion of whomever is appreciative. 

There is, of course, a difference in the 
brain power of dogs as in man, and prob¬ 
ably there are dogs which would never 
develop into intelligent, thinking animals 
regardless of their environment; but such 
are exceptions. 

Gipsey was not unusual intellectually 
and neither she nor any other of my dogs 
became a trick dog, chiefly because I do 
not care for such displays, but in her de¬ 
velopment of affection and sympathy with 


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Gftfe ^Dogs 


the moods of her aged friends she was 
remarkable. 

Her affection was inborn, but her sym¬ 
pathy and interest in the humans upon 
whom she depended were a matter of 
development. 

The affection shown toward her was 
more than reciprocated, and although she 
could not talk as do men, she was most 
expressive and never deceitful. 

Her methods of expression were ample 
and although at times one could see in her 
wistful brown eyes the great desire to ex¬ 
press in words what was in her heart to 
say, we always understood her in sub¬ 
stance. 

To anyone who appreciates and knows 
the dog, the wag of the tail, the twist of 
the body, the expression of the eyes, and 
the tone of the whine, growl or bark, are 
full of meaning. 

To even the unobserving, the difference 


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is apparent between the growl and dis¬ 
play of teeth of the dog in play and the 
vicious snarl and showing of fangs of the 
protector of the life or property of his 
master; but there are more subtle expres¬ 
sions which are full of meaning to the dog 
lover. All of the common emotions are 
easily expressed, but the finer and deeper 
feelings of our friends, the dogs, are not 
appreciated by the careless or indifferent. 

How much the dog knows, or thinks, or 
reasons, is open to argument, but it does 
not require the tales of a nature-faker to 
convince the open-minded sympathetic 
observer that the dog possesses qualities 
of mind not generally appreciated. 

As I have before said, none of my dogs 
was a trick dog, but every one developed 
human qualities of mind and soul of 
greater or lesser degree. Gipsey was no 
exception but her characteristics .were 
more feminine in nature than those of 


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Major or her successor in the family 
circle. 

Of her intelligence a single case will 
perhaps suffice. At times the white haired 
mother at the old home would say to Gip- 
sey, “Your master is coming to-morrow I” 
From that moment the spaniel would be 
tremulous with the excitement and as the 
hour approached for the arrival of the 
train on the following day she would take 
a position in the window where she could 
look down the street and watch for the 
approaching hack, which she would wel¬ 
come with a wild scramble and barks of 
joy. 

Such was the life of the second of my 
friends, the dogs; and so she passed her 
days as a gentle, dignified companion and 
worshipful follower of the old, as Major 
was a romping sport among the boys. 


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Ill 

JOHNNY AND TINK WINK 

OHNNY came into the family 
as a red cocker spaniel pup of 
the larger or field type. 

He was kennel bred and 
therefore his forbears had not had the ad¬ 
vantage of that closer association with 
humankind, with the mellowing influ¬ 
ences incident to home life. 

From the first, he was an independent, 
boisterous character, full of life, fond of 
sport, and hard to control. He developed 
affection for his master and mistress, but 
he was ever headstrong and sport was 
easily first with him. 

When but six weeks old he would 
growl in displeasure when not allowed to 
do exactly as he wished, and he would 
17 



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have his own way if in any way possible. 
If shut up in a room by himself, he would 
dig away at the door with his strong paws, 
in a fury, and nothing but release would 
stop him. In the house or on the street 
he was a whirlwind of activity, and in his 
company there was always something 
doing. 

On one occasion, when about one year 
old, when his mistress had taken him to a 
near-by drug store on an errand, he sud¬ 
denly began howling and making wild 
dashes among the varicolored bottles 
with foam flying from his mouth. Nat¬ 
urally there was a panic in the pharmacy, 
but with the assistance of one clerk who 
was braver than his fellows, the poor dog 
was finally shut in a dark closet, where 
he crouched in apparent terror for some 
time, but finally emerged in normal con¬ 
dition except for some nervousness. The 
trouble was not hydrophobia, as many 
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would have thought, but only a worm-fit, 
a trouble common to young dogs and 
which is the direct cause of many of the 
mad-dog scares featured by the daily 
press. 

He had an innate fondness for the gun, 
and the first and only time he was taken 
hunting he retrieved some birds from the 
swamp. Here his instinct led him to do 
as his ancestors had been trained. Pas¬ 
sionately fond of the water, he would 
swim out into the lake, regardless of the 
roughness of the water, and would re¬ 
trieve sticks large and small as long as 
they were thrown in. 

In fact, retrieving was his specialty. 
Every evening upon the return of his 
master, Johnny insisted upon his game. 
If I sat down before the fun, Johnny 
would tug at my trousers until something 
yielded or his purpose accomplished. 
The game was not to retrieve an article 
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thrown in the room but when found in 
some hiding place. In playing, Johnny 
would sit still and wait until something 
was hidden in an adjoining room or up¬ 
stairs; then when told, “All ready!” he 
would shoot like a rocket round and 
round behind cushions, under rugs and 
every place within doors until his keen 
scent located the object. This he would 
bring in triumph to me and would expect 
the same process to be repeated without 
limit. 

Yet Johnny was not all a boisterous bit 
of life devoted to sport. He was fond of 
his friends and could not bear to be kept 
by himself. At one time, when moving 
into a new home, it was thought best to 
put Johnny’s basket in the kitchen and to 
let him sleep there and guard that portion 
of the house. But he thought otherwise. 
For seven nights Johnny howled the most 
unearthly howls that ever came from dog 


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or coyote, and he would not stop. Time 
after time I came downstairs and talked, 
implored, and whaled him, but without 
effect, until at the end of the week 
Johnny’s haggard, sleep-requiring master 
and mistress capitulated and placed the 
basket upstairs at their bedroom door, 
and Johnny was content. 

It was this dog who was the least devel¬ 
oped in affection and intelligence of all 
of my canine friends, who had an experi¬ 
ence different from that of any of the 
others, so far as my observation went. 
One evening, after his romp, Johnny be¬ 
came very uneasy and exhibited great dis¬ 
turbance of mind, with mixed fear and 
anger. His eyes followed something in 
the air above our heads, to me unseen. 
What it was I do not know, but it was 
some time before Johnny could be quieted 
and reassured. That he saw something, 


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and that not a mere shadow, is sure, but 
what, he could not tell. 

For three years Johnny was our care 
and amusement and the subject of much 
admiration. Then one day he disap¬ 
peared. Searching the city dog pound, 
inquiry, and offering liberal rewards in 
the newspapers, continued during almost 
six months’ time, failed to find him, and 
we never knew his fate. 

Johnny’s successor came to the house 
from the stable, where he had been in pos¬ 
session of the coachman. The occasion 
was one Fourth of July evening when, 
very apparently much frightened by the 
fire-works, a small fox-terrier suddenly 
appeared on the porch and with a single 
bound landed in my lap as a shelter from 
the, to him, terrible noises of the hour. 
His appealing way immediately won 
for him a home in the house and for us 
another little friend. 


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Tink Wink was a small, smooth-haired 
terrier, with tan-colored head. Although 
from a breed characterized by noisy com¬ 
bativeness and love for wandering, he was 
in character the opposite. He was the 
most gentle little individual, quiet and 
undemonstrative and yet full of affection 
and very loyal to the family. In contrast 
with the tearing, romping Johnny, he was 
as a spring lamb to a pit-bred terrier in a 
combat. While the cocker could not be 
suppressed and was bold and impudent, 
the terrier was extremely sensitive and 
very conscientious. A cross word would 
cause his spirits to fall and him to retire 
from sight. He was by nature appealing 
and supplicant. Someone taught him to 
sit up and beg for his dinner, and he 
quickly caught the idea and amplified it 
to his own purposes. No one could scold 
him very much, not only because there 
was but very little cause, but because he 
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Gfhe Siory 1 of" 


immediately assumed his begging posture 
and looked up with such an appealing 
gaze that the scolding at once became a 
caress. 

Tink Wink but rarely got into any 
trouble because that was not his nature, 
but once at least he fell from grace. He 
was very fond of sweets, and one day 
when left alone he helped himself so 
freely to a basket of fudge that about 
one half of it was devoured. By the time 
his master and mistress returned, he was 
in distress and the cause was in evidence. 
For about an hour the small culprit passed 
a wretched time, drinking water which 
quickly reappeared through his mouth 
carrying with it some diluted fudge. Be¬ 
fore long the back yard had many little 
puddles of fudgy water, until the patient 
was normal in size, even though depressed 
in spirits. For some time afterwards, the 
mention of fudge was sufficient to make 
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Tink Wink shudder. Other punishment 
he did not require. 

But this terrier had not lost all of the 
instincts of his breed, as was proven when 
he was really aroused. Contrary to the 
habit of fox-terriers, the little fellow 
cared not in the least for rats, until one 
day he was bitten by a caged rodent. 
Then the fighting spirit became evident, 
never to disappear and ever after, in the 
hunt for rats, the gentle little terrier be¬ 
came an active, ferocious little hunter, as 
many a dead rat evidenced. 

An incident will show Tink Wink’s 
cleverness and tends to prove the reason¬ 
ing power of the dog: Upon one occasion, 
when he was passing a few weeks in the 
country at the home of my mother, he so 
far forgot himself as to remain out very 
late at night, which was very contrary to 
his habit and principles. When he re¬ 
turned home, the house was dark and 
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everyone was asleep. Apparently receiv¬ 
ing no attention in response to his bark at 
the customary entrance, he went around 
and barked under my mother’s window 
until she was awakened and let the culprit 
in. He was not in the habit of coming to 
that window for any purpose, but he knew 
which room was occupied by his friend 
and he thought that if he could make her 
hear she would come to his relief. 

Johnny and Tink Wink! Different in 
character and disposition, but both of 
them full of interest and both of them 
loyal little friends. Their wants were 
few and easily satisfied. A place to 
sleep, a little to eat, and a little play and 
talk with the human beings upon whom 
civilization had made them dependent. 
Never critical; never complaining. To 
them it was sufficient that their home was 
with their master and it mattered not 
whether it was a flat or a mansion. 

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For the little trouble they made, they 
repaid manyfold in the qualities charac¬ 
terizing them which cannot be realized 
except through association and then by 
those who are appreciative of animals 
which cannot articulate and which are 
not classified as humans. 

The little fox-terrier had such confi¬ 
dence in man that he did not look for 
harm from him or anything controlled by 
him, and so one day a scorching automo¬ 
bile crushed out his life. 



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IV 


GINGER SNAP 

‘ ‘ FOR SALE : A bat-eared Boston 


terrier having a dark seal coat with perfect 
markings. Very active and perfectly 
house-broken. 

“Enquire.” 

HE above advertisement brought my 



A reply and the sight of the dog con¬ 
vinced me that he was to be mine, regard¬ 
less of the price. 

The description was fair of the subject 
so far as externals were concerned, but no 
brief words could tell of the boundless 
life and spirit that were expressed in those 
ears, eyes and general appearance. 

He was not a blue ribbon specimen 
because too “leggy,” as the judges would 
say; but as an object of beauty and grace, 
especially in action, he would have been 


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hard to equal. In movement he was as if 
made of springs and india-rubber, and as 
graceful as a gazelle, while mentally he 
was equally acute. His registered name 
was “Snap,” but he was re-christened 
Ginger, as appropriate, and less sug¬ 
gestive of an undesirable quality. 

In disposition he was all that was ad¬ 
mirable and he was everyone’s friend. 
There was not a child in town who did 
not know him and call him by his name. 
He had no enemies and his admirers were 
many. 

He was both hospitable and neigh¬ 
borly. Whenever the bell indicated a 
caller he was always the first one to reach 
the door, impatiently waiting to welcome 
the guest. With the neighbors he was on 
intimate terms and often called upon some 
friends across the street at breakfast time, 
when he was quite apt to receive a little 
on the side. 


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He was not serious minded but was 
always eager for play. Every evening at 
train time he waited at the entrance door 
the coming of his master whom he greeted 
joyfully, and always expected a romp be¬ 
fore dinner. He was so full of life that 
action was necessary, but withal he was a 
gentleman. He was allowed to remain in 
the dining room but he never indicated 
his hunger or expectancy except by gently 
nudging the arm of the person from 
whom he felt he had the most to hope. 

At night he always went to his basket 
upstairs at the same time the rest of the 
family retired. In the morning he always 
went to his master’s room for an early 
romp, but he never forgot his considera¬ 
tion, despite his eagerness. Often would 
he enter the room quietly, and seeing no 
one moving would stand up by the side 
of the bed, and if his master seemed to be 
sleeping would quietly return to his bas- 




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ket. If, however, the rising time seemed 
to him to be too long delayed, he would 
nudge the sleeper with his paw and give 
a little bark. 

But Ginger’s special hobby was riding. 
So fond was he of this recreation that he 
would take delight in a wheelbarrow, cab, 
delivery wagon, carriage or automobile. 
On one occasion he jumped into a public 
cab, rode all day, and then went home 
with the cab-driver and remained for two 
days. On another occasion he went down 
to the Railroad Station and jumped on a 
Chicago bound train but was put off at 
the next stop, whence he was returned to 
us. These trips did not evidence want of 
fondness for his own home nor the wan¬ 
der-lust spirit, but the independence 
which characterized him and his love for 
a ride. His fondness for horses was prob¬ 
ably on account of their usefulness in 
drawing a vehicle. 


32 





Ginger lacked some of the qualities of 
some of his predecessors, but he was prob¬ 
ably the most loved of all. 

If some soul was reincarnate in him, it 
must have been that of some beautiful, 
gay being of the Latin race, full of laugh¬ 
ter and song, care free, brimful of the 
joy of living. 

He was the liveliest of companions, a 
thing of beauty, and with a way of his 
own which gave him the affection of all 
who knew him and led his best friends to 
prize him above price. But why other¬ 
wise? Why should anyone consider sell¬ 
ing a true friend for the matter of a few 
hundred dollars? 

Then one day came the word that 
Ginger had been run over by an automo¬ 
bile, as he was crossing the street to call 
upon his friends. 

When I reached home he was lying 
upon a couch, with a broken leg but with- 
33 





out other apparent injury. So later in 
the evening he was placed carefully in a 
basket and was carried into the city for 
treatment. The doctor being out, we 
placed him in the basket by a warm fire 
and left him, regardless of his fruitless 
effort to follow. The next morning came 
the telephone message that he had died in 
the night from internal injury. 

It is more than five years since that 
night, but I cannot forgive myself for 
having left him among strangers in the 
hour of his need. 



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EPILOGUE 

INGER was sincerely 
mourned, and those who know 
what a friend a dog may be, 
appreciate that his loss caused 
real grief in our home. 

We knew that he could not be dupli¬ 
cated, for dogs are as individual as peo¬ 
ple; and we also vaguely realized that 
those who possess children have treasures 
which we had not enjoyed. So we were 
led on to the better things, and our next 
pet was the blue-eyed baby girl for whom 
this little story has been written. 

Hearts are still loyal to the memory of 
the four-footed friends, but there is a joy 
to be realized in a little girl, who runs 
with outstretched arms, calling “Daddy! 
Daddy!” which is over and beyond that 
which comes from the possession of the 
37 





most devoted friend with the natural limi¬ 
tations of the dog. 

So you, dear girl, came into our lives 
as the direct result of little Ginger’s 
death; and so often the greatest joys 
spring from what at the time seems only 
trouble. 

May your life be rich in friends as 
true, loyal and loving as were the five 
little dogs to your “Daddy”! 


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